London Breed becomes first black woman elected San Francisco mayor

London Breed became San Francisco's first black female mayor after a weeklong ballot count in a close race with fellow Democrat Mark Leno. Photo courtesy of London Breed/Facebook

June 13 (UPI) -- San Francisco voters have elected London Breed, the first black woman to lead the city, after a weeklong vote count that ended Wednesday.

Breed, the Democratic president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, will serve out the term of San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, who died of a heart attack in December. Breed will be up for re-election in 2020.

"I'm so hopeful about the future of our city," Breed told a crowd of supporters Wednesday. "I'm looking forward to serving as your mayor, and I'm truly humbled and truly honored."

Breed beat fellow Democrat Mark Leno in a close race. Voting tallies had Breed up by 2,177 votes with 6,690 left to be counted, but Leno said it ultimately became clear she would win.

"Just doing the math, we do not see that it is likely to change," he said.

After Leno, 66, called Breed, 43, to concede, he called her "a remarkable young woman" and wished her "every success both personally and professionally in her new job as mayor of San Francisco."

"I'm a native San Franciscan -- I grew up in some of the most challenging of circumstances," Breed said, according to CNN. "I think the message that this sends to the next generation of young people growing up in this city, that no matter where you come from...you can do anything you want to do."

Breed was raised by her grandmother in public housing. After earning a master's degree in public administration from the University of San Francisco, she served as executive director of the African American Art & Culture Complex in the Western Addition neighborhood of San Francisco. She served as the city's redevelopment agency commissioner for five years.